The Hand of Ethelberta (Penguin Classics) - Softcover

Hardy, Thomas

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0140435026 ISBN 13: 9780140435023

Publisher: Penguin Classics, 1998

Synopsis

Adventuress and opportunist, Ethelberta reinvents herself to disguise her humble origins, launching a brilliant career as a society poet in London with her family acting incognito as her servants. Turning the male-dominated literary world to her advantage, she happily exploits the attentions of four very different suitors. Will she bestow her hand upon the richest of them, or on the man she loves? Ethelberta Petherwin, alias Berta Chickerel, moves with easy grace between her multiple identities, cleverly managing a tissue of lies to aid her meteoric rise. In The Hand of Ethelberta, Hardy drew on conventions of popular romances, illustrated weeklies, plays, fashion plates and even his wife's diary in this comic story of a woman in control of her destiny.

For more than seventy years, Penguin has been the leading publisher of classic literature in the English-speaking world. With more than 1,700 titles, Penguin Classics represents a global bookshelf of the best works throughout history and across genres and disciplines. Readers trust the series to provide authoritative texts enhanced by introductions and notes by distinguished scholars and contemporary authors, as well as up-to-date translations by award-winning translators.

About this title

From the Publisher

Founded in 1906 by J.M. Dent, the Everyman Library has always tried to make the best books ever written available to the greatest number of people at the lowest possible price. Unique editorial features that help Everyman Paperback Classics stand out from the crowd include: a leading scholar or literary critic's introduction to the text, a biography of the author, a chronology of her or his life and times, a historical selection of criticism, and a concise plot summary. All books published since 1993 have also been completely restyled: all type has been reset, to offer a clarity and ease of reading unique among editions of the classics; a vibrant, full-color cover design now complements these great texts with beautiful contemporary works of art. But the best feature must be Everyman's uniquely low price. Each Everyman title offers these extensive materials at a price that competes with the most inexpensive editions on the market-but Everyman Paperbacks have durable binding, quality paper, and the highest editorial and scholarly standards.

From the Back Cover

Ethelberta Petherwin is a glamorous young widow; her passionate poetry, beauty and wealth make her the star of every salon, and her faint air of mystery merely increases her allure. But if her hand is London's most valued prize, it is because no one has yet noticed her lineage of laborers recently risen to the doubtful heights of domestic servitude. Hardy scrutinizes Ethelberta as the strain of deception takes its toll, and her precarious hold on her coveted social status begins to slip.

Edition details

• Publisher: Penguin Classics
• Publication date: 1998
• ISBN 10: 0140435026
• ISBN 13: 9780140435023
• Binding: Paperback
• Language: English
• Number of pages: 512
• Editor: Dolin Tim